Connectors for sectional chutes



R O. HINDS CONNECTORS FOR SEQTIONAL CHUTES Filed May 28, 1957 1INVENTOR.

fiafiarf 0. Hinds United States Patent Ot'fice 2,821,279 Patented Jan.28, 1958 CONNECTORS non SECTIONAL CHUTES Robert 0. Hinds, Dallas, Tex.

Application May 28, 1957, Serial No. 662,111

2 Claims. cl. 193-30 My invention relates to improvements in connectorsfor the sections of drop chutes, such as are used in pouring concreteinto forms in building construction and the like.

Generally speaking, the sections of such chutes are connected by meansincluding exposed hooks on the sides of the sections and these hooks inraising and lowering such chutes catch onto reinforced steel and likeobjects, when the chute is being used in close quarters and raised andlowered. This interferes with raising and lowering of such chutes andtime is lost in releasing the hooks.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a chain and hookconnectors for such chute sections and guards on the sections which willprevent the connectors from catching on objects adjacent to the chuteswhen raising and lowering the chute.

Another object is to provide a connector as in the above which isadapted to be inexpensively manufactured and readily attached to thechute sections of conventional chutes without modification of thesections.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in plan of a sectional chute with my connectorsattached to the sections thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in longitudinal section partlyin plan;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation partly inbroken lines, and

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure3.

Referring by numerals to the preferred embodiment of my inventionillustrated therein, the numeral 1 designates, generally, a conventionaldrop chute adapted to be supported in any suitable manner in adownwardly inclined position and comprising forwardly tapering troughsections 3, each having a front end 5 telescopically disposed in therear end 7 of a chute section extending forwardly therefrom, thesections being adapted to be supported in downwardly and forwardlyinclined position for gravity feed of concrete or cement therethrough.

According to my invention, connectors are provided for the chutesections 3 comprising front and rear pairs of channel bar guards 11, 13riveted, as at 15, 17 to til til

opposite sides 19 of the sections 3 adjacent the front and rear ends 5,7 thereof respectively, of adjacent sections and which extendlongitudinally of the sections and are each formed with a pair of upperand lower convex longitudinal flanges 21, 23 projecting laterally fromthe sides 19 of said sections 3.

A pair of link chains 25 connect the front pair of guards 11 of eachsection 3 with the rear pair of guards 13 of the adjacent telescopingsection 3. The pair of chains 25 has front terminal links 27 welded, asat 29, in rearwardly and outwardly inclined position to the backs 31 ofsaid rear guards 13 within said guards, and rear terminal links 33detachably engaged over rearwardly extending and opening hooks 35Welded, as at 37, to the backs 39 of the front guards 13 of thetelescoping adjacent section 3.

As is best shown in Figure 2, when chute sections 3 are fully extendedthe chains 25 are pulled taut and the flanges 21, 23 project outwardlybeyond said chains and beyond the hooks 35 and prevent said chains andhooks from catching in adjacent objects when the chute 1 is being raisedor lowered, and the flanges 21, 27 because of their convex form will notcatch in such objects.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In an extensible drop chute adapted to be raised and lowered andincluding at least a first chute section having a front end telescopinginto a rear end of a second chute section, connecting means for saidsections comprising a pair of longitudinally extending channel bars onopposite sides and adjacent said end of each section, and a pair of linkchains terminally fixed in the channel bars of the second section anddetachably attached in the channel bars of the first section and adaptedto be pulled taut when the chute is extended, said channel bars havingupper and lower convex flanges extending outwardly beyond said chainsand when the latter are taut to prevent said chains and flanges fromcatching in objects when the chute is raised and lowered.

2. The combination of claim 1, the channel bars of the first sectionhaving rearwardly opening hooks therein for attaching said chains to thechannel bars of the first section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS853,750 Whorral May 14, 1907 1,050,623 Dick Jan. 14, 1913 FOREIGNPATENTS 703,949 Germany Mar. 20, 1941 851,773 Germany Oct. 9, 1952

